Regulus | star | Britannica.com Regulus Betelgeuse Regulus, also called Alpha Leonis, brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Leo and one of the brightest in the entire sky, having an apparent visual magnitude of about 1.35. It is 77 light-years from Earth . The name Regulus, derived from a Latin word for king, reflects an ancient belief in the astrological importance of the star. Learn More in these related articles: in Leo in astronomy, zodiacal constellation lying in the northern sky between Cancer and Virgo, at about 10 hours 30 minutes right ascension and 15° north declination. Regulus (Latin for “little king”; also called Alpha Leonis), the brightest star, is of magnitude 1.35. The November meteor shower called the Leonids has its radiant, or point of apparent origin, in Leo. Many of the stars... 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles.

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Close Date Published: March 09, 2007 URL: Access Date: January 18, 2017 Share Regulus: Heart of the Lion | Brightest Stars | EarthSky History and mythology of Regulus. This chart is set for March 17, 2016. If you look on the nights after that, you’ll see the waxing moon moving closer to Regulus … and very bright Jupiter! How to see the star Regulus Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion . It is a bluish star, well placed in the evening sky from about January to June. Regulus can be found marking the bottom of a large backwards question mark star pattern within Leo, known as The Sickle. The Sickle – with Regulus at its heart – outlines the constellation Leo the Lion’s head and forequarters. In our western skylore, Regulus is said to be the Lion’s Heart. Located along the ecliptic – or pathway of the sun, moon and planets – Regulus can be seen from around the globe. Bright planets sometimes pass near it, and every month the moon passes no more than about 5o away.

Sometimes the moon occults (passes in front of) this star as seen from our earthly vantage point. Of all stars visible from Earth, Regulus is either the 21st or 22nd brightest, depending on how you want to consider it. Strictly speaking, there are 21 stars brighter than Regulus, making it the 22nd brightest. However, the 21st brightest star, Alpha Centauri B, is just barely brighter than Regulus and appears so close to Alpha Centauri A ( Rigel Kentaurus ) that it cannot be distinguished separately. Since the human eye cannot actually see Alpha Centauri B as a separate star, perhaps the title of 21st brightest really does belong to Regulus. Regulus throughout the year. Regulus rises about an hour after sunset in early February. It is opposite the sun on or near February 18, and Regulus rises on that date at about sunset and is up all night long, reaching its highest point due south at local midnight. By early April, Regulus is well up in the southeast an hour after sunset. By early June, it’s high in the southwest an hour after sunset.

And by early July, Regulus is low to the west an hour after sunset. Although best seen in the evening in northern hemisphere in late winter and into summer, Regulus can be found at some time of night throughout the year except for about a month on either side of August 22, when the sun is located in Regulus’ direction in space. Regulus is a much larger star than our sun. Image via the Night Sky Guy . Regulus science. Regulus is about 77 light-years away. If – by some impossible magic – Regulus were to replace our sun, Earth would be doomed. First, Earth’s atmosphere would be stripped away, and shortly thereafter the oceans would begin to boil. With our protective natural shields gone, the surface of the Earth would bake under a star four times as wide and 140 times as bright as our world is accustomed to, not to mention the vastly increased bombardment of ultraviolet rays, X-rays and gamma rays. Taking all of the star’s radiation into account, Regulus pumps out nearly 350 times as much energy as our sun. Regulus rotates, or spins, rapidly.

Our sun takes about a month to spin around once on its axis, but Regulus completes a single rotation in only 15.9 hours. This rapid rotation rate causes Regulus’s equatorial regions to bulge, making the star not round like our sun but oblate, like a squashed orange. As a result, the north and south poles of Regulus have a higher surface gravity, and thus higher temperature and brightness, than the equatorial regions of Regulus. The polar regions of Regulus are several thousand degrees hotter than this star’s equator, and the poles of this star shine more brightly than the equator. If Regulus rotated slightly more rapidly (16% faster), the star would fly apart. Regulus is not the only star known to spin so fast that it has an oblate shape. The stars Altair and Achernar are also fast spinners with flattened shapes. What’s more, Regulus is a double star with a telescopically visible companion orbiting at about 100 times as far from Regulus as Pluto is from the sun.

In fact, the companion itself is double, each component slightly smaller than our star and separated by about 95 astronomical units, or more than twice as far as Pluto from the sun. In addition, a very small star – likely a white dwarf – circles Regulus at about the same distance as Mercury from the sun. So this is not one solitary star as the eye believes, but at least four. Overall, Regulus is a very hot star of spectral type B7V, meaning that it is much hotter than our sun, with a surface temperature that averages about 12,000K (roughly 21,000 degrees F). Very hot stars like this use up their nuclear fuel at a phenomenal rate, far faster than smaller stars like our sun. Thus the sun has an expected lifetime of about 10 billion years; it is about halfway through its life now. Meanwhile, hotter Regulus is likely only a few hundred million years old, but it is rapidly approaching its own death throes. The constellation Leo, with the star Regulus at its heart, as depicted on a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825. Image via Wikimedia Commons. History and mythology of Regulus.

The name Regulus is from the diminutive form of the Latin rex, and means Little King. Astronomers know Regulus as Alpha Leonis, but in times past it has been known simply as Rex, as well as by kingly names in other languages. It’s not clear how Regulus went from being a king – thought to rule celestial affairs – to being a ‘little’ king. Perhaps the thought was that Leo itself represented the King of Beasts, and there was room for one full king only. Regulus has also been called Cor Leonis, which means Heart of the Lion, the same name given to Richard the Lionhearted (although more frequently in French). The constellation Leo the Lion, of which Regulus is the most prominent member, is quite easy to visualize. As mentioned previously, Regulus dots the backwards question mark of stars that outlines the Lion’s head and mane. An easily identifiable triangle depicts the Lion’s hindquarters and tail. There is a great deal of mythology associated with Leo, perhaps the most common tale being that Leo was the Nemean Lion of the Hercules story.

It is said that even in South America, some Peruvian Indians knew these stars as the Mountain Lion, whereas in China it was sometimes seen as a horse, and at other times as part of a dragon. Christians in the Middle Ages sometimes referred to it as one of Daniel’s Lions. Regulus’ position is RA: 10h 08m 23s, dec: +11° 58′ 02″. Zodiacal History as measured by Sun & Regulus' Conjunctions Conjunction of the Sun and Regulus on August 23 Sun-Regulus' Conjunctions & the Zodiac Yearly, on or near August 23, the Sun passes between the Earth and Regulus , the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. This annual conjunction of the Sun and Regulus comes about 2 months after the June 21 solstice and 1 month before the September 23 equinox. If you're familiar with astrology (or more specifically: tropical astrology), you may know the Sun occupies the first or zero point of the sign Cancer on the June solstice and the first point of the sign Libra on the September equinox.

No matter the year, the Sun is always at the First Point of (the sign) Aries on the March equinox, the first point of (the sign) Cancer on the June solstice, the first point of (the sign) Libra on the September equinox and the first point of (the sign) Capricorn on the December solstice. The reader may wonder: what does this have to do with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion? Once and for all, I'm hoping I can use this star to highlight the difference between an astrological sign and an astronomical constellation. Oftentimes, both astrologers and astronomers confuse one for the other. Either term is perfectly correct to use, as long as you don't mistakenly call a zodiacal constellation a zodiacal sign, or vice versa. Astrological Signs Signs refer to the Sun's place on the zodiac relative to the March equinox (First Point of Aries), IRRESPECTIVE of the Sun's position relative to the background stars - or in this case, the star Regulus. At the March equinox, the Sun is at the first or zero point of (the sign) Aries.

One month later, when the Sun is 30 degrees east the March equinox point, the Sun stands at the first point of (the sign) Taurus. Two months later, when the Sun resides 60 degrees east of the March equinox point, the Sun marks the first point of (the sign) Gemini. Some three months after the March equinox, the Sun is 90 degrees east of the March equinox point, at the first point of (the sign) Cancer - this also marking the Sun's June solstice point. And so on and so forth . . . Regulus' Astrological Position Five months after the March equinox, on or near August 23, the Sun shines at 150 degrees (5 months x 30 degrees = 150 degrees) east of the March equinox point. That's the same date the Sun and Regulus are in conjunction! According to Anne Wright on her Regulus page , Regulus won't be at the first or zero point of the sign Virgo till 2012. Presently, Regulus resides almost exactly at the border of the signs Leo and Virgo, though technically speaking, this star is still within the sign Leo.

Even though Regulus belongs to the constellation Leo, Regulus passes through all the signs of the zodiac in about 26,000 years. As a rule of thumb, Regulus goes one degree eastward through the signs of zodiac in 72 years. That's 30 degrees eastward in 2160 years. (What a coincidence, the moon's diameter equals 2,160 miles!) If, then, Regulus stands at the first point of the sign Virgo in the year 2012, we can calculate the year that the Sun and Regulus were in conjunction on the June solstice, and the year they'll be in conjunction on the September equinox. Regulus at June Solstice Point & September Equinox Point Nowadays, Regulus stands very close the first point of the sign Virgo: 150 degrees east of March equinox point, and 60 degrees east of the June solstice point. Going backward in time, we can figure that Regulus stood at the June solstice point some 4,320 years ago (60 degrees x 72 years = 4,320 years).

Therefore, according to our calculations, Regulus was at the first point of the sign Cancer (June solstice) in 2308 BC (2012 - 4320 = 2308). According to Anne Wright , Regulus marked the first point of the sign Cancer in 2345 BC. At least our figure is within the ballpark. Looking into the future, Regulus will be at the first point of the sign Libra, or 180 degrees east of the March equinox point, in about 2160 years from the year 2012. Accordingly, the Sun and Regulus will be in conjunction with one other on the September equinox somewhere around the year 4172. copyright 2007 by Bruce McClure Regulus - Alpha Leonis | Constellation Guide Constellation Guide Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky Regulus by admin Regulus, also known as Alpha Leonis, is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and the 21st brightest star in the night sky.

It has an apparent magnitude of 1.35 and lies at a distance of 79.3 light years, or 24.3 parsecs, from Earth. Alpha Leonis is not really a single star, but a multiple star system. The name Regulus means the “little king“ or “prince“ in Latin and the star is also known as Basiliskos, Cor Leonis (Lion’s Heart), Qalb al-Asad and Rex. Regulus A, the primary component in the Regulus system, is a spectroscopic binary star composed of a blue-white main sequence star with the spectral classification B7 V and a companion believed to be a white dwarf. With a visual magnitude of 1.35, Regulus A is reponsible for the star system’s brightness and bluish colour. It is the only naked eye component in the Regulus system. Regulus B can be seen with binoculars, while Regulus C would require a larger telescope to be seen isolated from the system. Together, the Regulus BC pair can be seen in small telescopes. Regulus (Alpha Leonis).

Image: Wikisky Regulus can be seen in the night sky throughout the year except for a month on either side of August 22, when the Sun comes too close to the star. The star’s heliacal rising, first appearance above the horizon after a period of invisibility, occurs in the first week of September for observers in most locations. The planet Venus passes the star around this time every eight years. The best time of year to observe Regulus from the northern hemisphere is in the late winter and early spring, when the star can be seen in the southern sky in the evening. FACTS Regulus lies only 0.46 degrees from the ecliptic, the Sun’s apparent path across the sky, through the zodiac constellations , and is regularly occulted by the Moon and very rarely by Mercury and Venus. Venus last occulted Regulus on July 7, 1959 and will do so again on October 1, 2044. Occultation by other planets will not be seen for another few millennia. Alpha Leonis can also sometimes be occulted by asteroids, the minor planets in the inner solar system.

For instance, 163 Erigone, a large, dark asteroid from the asteroid belt, about 73 kilometres in size, occulted Regulus on March 20, 2014. 166 Rhodope, an asteroid about 54.6 kilometres in size, occulted the star on October 19, 2005. Sidney Hall, Urania’s Mirror – Leo Major and Leo Minor . Regulus is known by many different names in different cultures. The name Regulus is a diminutive form of “rex,“ which is Latin for “king.“ It was the Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus who gave the star this name, which was equivalent to Basiliskos (“little king”), used by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. The star is also known by its Latin name Cor Leonis and the Arabic Qalb al-Asad (Kalb al Asad, Kabeleced). Both phrases mean Lion’s Heart. Babylonian astronomers knew the star as Sharru (“the King“), Persians called it Miyan (“the Centre“) and in India the star was called Maghā (“the Mighty”).

In Persia, Regulus was one of the four Royal Stars, along with Aldebaran in Taurus , Antares in Scorpius and Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus . In the MUL.APIN, a Babylonian catalogue of stars and constellations, Regulus was listed as LUGAL, referring to “the star that stands in the breast of the Lion: the King.” In medieval astrology, Regulus was one of the 15 Behenian fixed stars, which were believed to have influence on one or more planets. Regulus has often been used in works of fiction. It appears the television series Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Enterprise among others, and also in the computer games BattleTech, Frontier: Elite II, Frontier: First Encounters and Descent: FreeSpace. Star system The Regulus star system consist of four components, or two pairs of stars. The brighter pair, designated Regulus A, is a spectroscopic binary system consisting of a bright blue star and a companion that has not been directly observed, but is likely a white main sequence star with an unusually low mass of only 0.3 solar.

The two stars complete an orbit around a common centre of mass every 40.11 days. They are separated by only 0.35 astronomical units. The companion was only discovered in 2008. Regulus and Leo constellation. Image: Thomas Bresson The primary component of Regulus A has 3.8 solar masses and is only a few million years old. The star is an extremely fast spinner, with a rotational velocity of 347 km/s. It completes a rotation in only 15.9 hours and, as a result, its shape has been distorted into an oblate spheroid, with the equatorial diameter 32 percent larger than the polar diameter. If the star were spinning only 10 percent faster, it would fly apart as its gravity would not be strong enough to hold it together. As a result of the star’s rapid rotation, its poles are five times brighter and significantly hotter than its equatorial region. The other pair of stars in the Regulus system, designated Regulus B and Regulus C, are fainter main sequence stars belonging to the spectral classes K1-2 V and M5 V.

In other words, Regulus B is an orange dwarf and Regulus C, a red one. The stars have an orbital period of 2,000 years and the distance between them is about 100 astronomical units. The Regulus BC pair lies about 177 arc seconds or 4,200 astronomical units away from Regulus A. Location Regulus and the Sickle of Leo. Image: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) Regulus is pretty easy to find in the sky. The star is part of the Sickle of Leo, a prominent asterism in the constellation Leo , and marks the lower end of the Sickle’s handle. The asterism looks like a backwards question mark and outlines the head of the celestial lion. The Sickle of Leo can be located using the stars of the Big Dipper . Megrez and Phecda, the two inner stars of the Dipper’s bowl, point the way to the asterism much like Dubhe and Merak, the outer stars of the bowl, point the way to Polaris . Regulus and the Big Dipper.

Image: Wikisky Regulus – Alpha Leonis Spectral class: B7 V (Regulus A), K1-2 V (Regulus B), M5 V (Regulus C) Coordinates: Regulus A: 10h 08m 22.311s (right ascension), +11° 58′ 01.95″ (declination) Regulus BC: 10h 08m 12.8/14s (right ascension), +11° 59′ 48″ (declination) Distance: 79.3 light years (24.3 parsecs) Designations: Regulus, Alpha Leonis, α Leonis (α Leo), Cor Leonis, Lion’s Heart, Basiliskos, Rex, 32 Leonis, Qalb al-Asad, Kalb al Asad, Kabeleced, HR 3982, GJ 9316, HIP 49669, FK5 380, GCTP 2384.00 Regulus A: HD 87901, SAO

 98967, BD+12 2149, LTT 12716 Regulus B: HD 87884, SAO 98966, BD+12 2147, LTT 12714 Apparent magnitude: 1.35 (Regulus A), 8.14 (Regulus B), 13.5 (Regulus C) Absolute magnitude: –0.52 (Regulus A), 6.3 (Regulus B), 11.6 (Regulus C) Mass: 3.8 solar masses (Regulus A), 0.8 (Regulus B), 0.2 (Regulus C) Radius: 3.092 solar radii (Regulus A), 0.5 (Regulus B) Luminosity: 288 solar luminosities (Regulus A), 0.31 (Regulus BC) Surface temperature: 12,460 K (Regulus A) Rotational velocity: 347 km/s (Regulus A) Regulus - definition of Regulus by The Free Dictionary Reg

ulus - definition of Regulus by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia .

Reg·u·lus A bright binary star in the constellation Leo, approximately 78 light years from Earth. [Latin rēgulus, diminutive of rēx, rēg-, king; see regulus.] re·gu·lus (rĕg′yə-ləs) n. pl. reg·u·li (-lī) or reg·u·lus·es 1. The metallic mass that sinks to the bottom of a furnace or crucible during smelting. 2. A relatively impure intermediate product of various ores in smelting. [Latin rēgulus, diminutive of rēx, rēg-, king; see reg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] reg′u·line (rĕg′yə-lĭn, -līn′) adj.

regulus n, pl -luses or -li (-ˌlaɪ) (Metallurgy) impure metal forming beneath the slag during the smelting of ores [C16: from Latin: a petty king, from rēx king; formerly used for antimony, because it combines readily with gold, thought of as the king of metals] ˈreguline adj (ˈrɛɡjʊləs) n (Biography) Marcus Atilius (ˈmɑːkəs əˈtɪlɪəs). died ?250 bc, Roman general; consul (267; 256). Captured by the Carthaginians in the First Punic War, he was sent to Rome on parole to deliver the enemy's peace terms, advised the Senate to refuse them, and was tortured to death on his return to Carthage Regulus (ˈrɛɡjʊləs) n (Celestial Objects) the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Visual magnitude: 1.3; spectral type: B8; distance: 69 light years Reg•u•lus n., pl.

-lus•es, -li (-ˌlaɪ) a first-magnitude star in the constellation Leo. [1550–60; < Latin rēgulus literally, little king (diminutive of rēx)] Reg•u•lus Marcus Atilius, died 250? B.C., Roman general. Reg·u·lus A bright binary star in the constellation Leo. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Regulus - the brightest star in Leo Leo - a zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo 2. bird genus - a genus of birds family Sylviidae , Sylviidae - in some classifications considered a subfamily (Sylviinae) of the family Muscicapidae: Old World (true) warblers; American kinglets and gnatcatchers kinglet - small birds resembling warblers but having some of the habits of titmice Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Sylviidae References in classic literature ?

Very soon after this embarrassing explanation, Julia received a letter from her friend that was in no way distinguishable from the rest, except that it contained the real name of Regulus, which she declared to be Henry Frederick St. View in context Whilst in garrison at Brussels young Regulus (he had been born in the revolutionary times) found his great comfort, and passed almost all his leisure moments, in Pauline's kitchen; and it was with pockets and holsters crammed full of good things from her larder, that he had take leave of his weeping sweetheart, to proceed upon the campaign a few days before. They had formed a part of the division under the command of his Sovereign apparent, the Prince of Orange, and as respected length of swords and mustachios, and the richness of uniform and equipments, Regulus and his comrades looked to be as gallant a body of men as ever trumpet sounded for.

When Ney dashed upon the advance of the allied troops, carrying one position after the other, until the arrival of the great body of the British army from Brussels changed the aspect of the combat of Quatre Bras, the squadrons among which Regulus rode showed the greatest activity in retreating before the French, and were dislodged from one post and another which they occupied with perfect alacrity on their part. So Jos tottered into that apartment where Regulus still sate on the kitchen table, and clung fast to his flagon of beer. Although Regulus had vowed that he was the only man of his regiment or of the allied army, almost, who had escaped being cut to pieces by Ney, it appeared that his statement was incorrect, and that a good number more of the supposed victims had survived the massacre. Leo - definition of Leo by The Free Dictionary Leo - definition of Leo by The Free Dictionary (lē′ō) n. 1. A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Cancer and Virgo, containing the bright stars Regulus and Denebola. 2. a. The fifth sign of the zodiac in astrology. b. One who is born under this sign. In all senses also called Lion.

[Latin Leō, from leō, lion; see lion.] LEO (Animals) a name for a lion, used in children's tales, fables, etc [from Latin: lion] (ˈliːəʊ) n, Latin genitive Leonis (liːˈəʊnɪs) 1. (Astronomy) astronomy a zodiacal constellation in the N hemisphere, lying between Cancer and Virgo on the ecliptic, that contains the star Regulus and the radiant of the Leonid meteor shower 2. (Astrology) astrology a. Also called: the Lion the fifth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♌, having a fixed fire classification and ruled by the sun. The sun is in this sign between about July 23 and Aug 22 b. a person born during a period when the sun is in this sign adj (Astrology) astrology born under or characteristic of Leo Also (for senses 2b, 3): Leonian LEO n., gen. Le•o•nis (liˈoʊ nɪs) for 1. 1. the Lion, a zodiacal constellation between Virgo and Cancer, containing the bright star Regulus. 2.

a. the fifth sign of the zodiac. b. a person born under this sign, usu. between July 23 and August 22. Le•o 1. Leo I, Saint ( “Leo the Great” ), A.D. c390–461, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 440–461. 2. Leo III, Saint, A.D. c750–816, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 795–816. 3. Leo X (Giovanni de'Medici), 1475–1521, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1513–21 (son of Lorenzo de'Medici). 4. Leo XIII (Giovanni Vincenzo Pecci), 1810–1903, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1878–1903. Le·o A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Cancer and Virgo.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: individual , mortal , person , somebody , someone , soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" astrology , star divination - a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon 2. Leo - a zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo zodiac - a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes Denebola - a star in Leo approximately 43 light years from Earth Regulus - the brightest star in Leo 3. Leo - the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22 Regulus near moon on July 7 | Tonight | EarthSky Regulus near moon on July 7 By Bruce McClure in Tonight | July 7, 2016 How to locate Uranus on sky’s dome Tonight – July 7, 2016 – that bright star shining close to the waxing crescent moon is Regulus , brightest star in the constellation of Leo the Lion.

The much brighter starlike object in front of Leo isn’t a star, but the dazzling planet Jupiter. You’ll see the moon closer to Jupiter tomorrow night, on July 8 . An imaginary line drawn between the pointer stars in the Big Dipper - the two outer stars in the Dipper's bowl - points in one direction toward Polaris, the North Star, and in the opposite direction toward Leo. If you look carefully, you might make out a backwards question mark pattern in the stars around Regulus. This asterism (or recognizable pattern within a constellation) is called The Sickle in Leo. The moon moves eastward in front of the constellations of the Zodiac from night to night. Once it has moved onward away from Leo, you can always use the bowl of the Big Dipper to find your way to Regulus. Regulus is considered to be one of the four Royal Stars of ancient Persia. These Royal Stars mark the four quadrants of the heavens. They are Regulus , Antares , Fomalhaut , and Aldebaran . Four to five thousand years ago, the Royal Stars defined the approximate positions of equinoxes and solstices in the sky.

Regulus reigned as the summer solstice star, Antares as the autumn equinox star, Fomalhaut as the winter solstice star, and Aldebaran as the spring equinox star. Regulus is often portrayed as the most significant Royal Star, possibly because it symbolized the height and glory of the summer solstice sun. Although the Royal Stars as seasonal signposts change over the long coarse of time, they still mark the four quadrants of the heavens. Regulus is the only bright star to reside almost squarely on the ecliptic – the Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the sphere of stars. Regulus coincided with the summer solstice point some 4,300 years ago. In our time, the sun has its annual conjunction with Regulus on or near August 23, or about two months after the summer solstice – or alternatively, one month before the autumn equinox. Regulus will mark the autumn equinox point some 2,100 years into the future. What is the ecliptic?

Four years ago, in 2012, Regulus reached a place on the Zodiac where it was precisely 150o east of the March equinox point (and 30o west of the September equinox point). Before that juncture, Regulus and the March equinox point were a little less than 150o apart, and Regulus and the September equinox point were a little more than 30o apart. For some astrologers, this instant at which Regulus was precisely 30o west of the September equinox point marked the end of the Age of Pisces and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. Click here to find out why. Whether you enjoy the arcane speculation on the Royal Star Regulus and the Age of Aquarius – or not – that star near tonight’s moon has visually given definition to the ecliptic and the Zodiac since time immemorial! When does the Age of Aquarius begin? The moon has been moving upward, away from the sunset, for the past few evenings. Notice that its lighted portion points to Venus. Bottom line: Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

The moon can help you find it – and maybe the planets Jupiter and Venus – on the night of July 7, 2016. Leo Constellation on Top Astronomer Leo Please hover over any star to get more information Leo is one of the larger constellations in the northern hemisphere. Its name means "lion" in Latin. In Greek mythology, the constellation is identified with the lion of Nemea, killed by Heracles as one of his Twelve Labours. The lion was terrorizing the town of Nemea near Corinth and its skin made it invulnerable. Heracles was unable to kill it with arrows as they bounced off the lion's skin, so he followed the beast into its cave and choked it to death. He kept the pelt and later wore it for protection in battle. The constellation Leo is usually depicted as a crouching lion, with its head outlined by six stars that form the shape of a sickle, its heart marked by the brightest star in the constellation, [4806] alpha Leonis (Regulus), and [4807] beta Leonis (Denebola) lying on the tip of the lion's tail.

Greek scholar Eratosthenes and Roman author Hyginus both say that the lion was placed among the stars because of its status as king of the beasts. The Chinese know most of the stars in the constellation as Xuanyuan, the Yellow Dragon. The Chaldeans associated the constellation with the Sun because, in those times, the Sun was passing through Leo during the summer solstice. Egyptians venerated the lion in the sky because the period of the Sun passing through the constellation coincided with the rise of the river Nile. The constellation Leo occupies an area of 947 square degrees and contains eight stars with known planets. It can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -65° and is best visible at 9 p.m. during the month of April. The Sun is considered to be in the constellation between August 16 and September 15 in sidereal astrology and between July 24 and August 23 in tropical astrology.

The brightest star in Leo is [4806] alpha Leonis, also known as Regulus ("prince" or "little king"), Basiliscus ("little king"), Cor Leonis ("the heart of the lion"), Qalb, Kabelaced, Qalb al-Asad ("the heart of the lion"), and Rex ("king"). Lying about 77.5 light-years away, Regulus is one of the brightest stars in the sky along with being the closest of the brightest stars to the ecliptic. It is a multiple system consisting of two binary star systems. Regulus A is a spectroscopic binary with a blue-white main sequence star as the primary component and a white dwarf as the companion. Regulus B and C are faint main sequence stars. [4807] beta Leonis, also known as Denebola ("the tail of the lion"), is the second brightest star in the constellation. It is an an A-class star and a Delta Scuti type variable, with slight variations in brightness every few hours.

Along with [6682] alpha Pictoris, [1538] beta Canis Minoris and stars in the open cluster IC 2391, Denebola is part of the IC 2391 supercluster, a stellar association also known as the Omicron Velorum Cluster, located in the constellation Vela. The stars in the cluster share a common motion through space, but are not gravitationally bound, which means that they were probably created in the same location. [4809] - [4815] gamma Leonis, also known as Algieba ("forehead"), is a binary star that consists of a K-class giant and a G-type giant. It appears as a bright double star with orange-red and greenish-yellow components. The primary star has a planetary companion. Together with [4812] zeta Leonis and [4814] eta Leonis, Algieba is part of the celestial sickle that marks the lion’s head. [4812] zeta Leonis, also known as Adhafera ("the braid" or "the curl"), is a yellow-white giant 260 light-years distant.

[4814] eta Leonis or Al Jabhah ("the front" or "the forehead") is a white supergiant, a suspected binary star, 2,100 light-years distant. Other notable stars in Leo include [4808] delta Leonis, also known as Zosma ("girdle") and Duhr, a main sequence star located at the lion’s hip, [4810] epsilon Leonis, also known as Ras Elased Australis or Asad Australis and Algenubi ("the southern star of the lion’s head"), a bright yellow giant, [4811] theta Leonis or Chertan ("two small ribs"), a white dwarf, and [4817] mu Leonis, also known as Rasalas and Alshemali (abbreviations of an Arabic phrase meaning "the northern star or the lion’s head"), a K-class, metal-rich giant 133 light-years distant. The star Wolf 359 is interesting for being one of the closest stars to Earth, at 7.7 light-years’ distance. It is a very faint red dwarf and can only be seen in a telescope.

The only stars nearer to Earth are [2081] alpha Centauri in the constellation Centaurus and Barnard’s Star in Ophiuchus . Another red dwarf in Leo, Gliese 436, has one the smallest known extrasolar planets in its orbit. Leo contains a number of bright galaxies. The best known ones are spiral galaxies Messier 65, Messier 66, Messier 95, Messier 96 and elliptical galaxy Messier 105. Messier 65 (NGC 3623) is 22 million light-years away. It is a intermediate spiral galaxy that forms the famous Leo Triplet group of galaxies along with Messier 66 (NGC 3627), another intermediate spiral galaxy, 95,000 light-years across in size, and NGC 3628, a barred spiral galaxy notable for an obscuring band of dust on the outer edge of its arms. Messier 95 (NGC 3351) is another barred spiral galaxy, 33 million-light-years distant, with a ring-like star-forming area around the nucleus.

Messier 96 (NGC 3368) is an intermediate spiral galaxy, the brightest one in the M96 Group, which also includes M95, M105 and nine other galaxies. Messier 105 (NGC 3379) is an elliptical galaxy with a confirmed supermassive black hole Another interesting object in the constellation is the Leo Ring, a huge primordial cloud of helium and hydrogen gas orbiting two galaxies, left over from the Big Bang. Regulus: The Kingly Star Regulus: The Kingly Star By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | September 20, 2013 09:29pm ET MORE This sky map shows the location of brilliant planet Venus and the bright star Regulus in the pre-dawn sky on Oct. 3, 2012, as viewed from mid-northern latitudes. Credit: Starry Night Software Regulus is a bright star seen in the constellation Leo. It's the brightest star in the constellation and among the brightest in Earth's night sky.

The star has two known companions nearby, a set of binary stars, but observations in the past few years suggest there may be a white dwarf lurking close to Regulus as well. Another mystery is the source of its extremely rapid spin and strange motion . Because Regulus can stray within the ecliptic, or the path upon which the sun and planets travel, it is very occasionally eclipsed by one of the planets or an asteroid. For example, in 1959, Regulus was occulted by Venus . In science fiction, Regulus has been used for television series such as "Star Trek" and "Babylon 5." Also, Regulus Black is the name of a character in the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. He was the brother of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, named for the brightest star in the sky . Astrophotographer John Chumack sent in a photo of Mars (red), Regulus (blue star) and the waning crescent moon in a triangle over his backyard observatory in Dayton, OH. Photo taken Oct. 1, 2013.

Credit: John Chumack/ Locating Regulus Regulus is about 70 light-years away from Earth, making it the closest star of this type to our planet, according to astronomer David Darling . It has an apparent magnitude of 1.35, making it the 21st brightest star in the night sky. Regulus' location is: Right ascension: 10 hours 8 minutes 22.3 seconds Declination: +11 degrees 58 minutes 2 seconds Regulus with the ancients One of the earliest references to Regulus was in ancient Persia, around 3000 B.C. The star was listed as one of four "royal stars," first under the name Venant and then Miyan ("the center", according to the Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics .) The constellation Leo was mentioned in the Tetrabiblos, an ancient Roman text by Ptolemy (c. A.D. 100 – 170). The text dealt with astrology and the supposed effect of events in the sky on humanity.

In Latin, the name "Regulus" means "little king." Regulus first received its name from the 16th-century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus , the encyclopedia added, "marking the fact that it had been regarded as one of the leading stars in the sky for some 2,000 years." In Arabia, Regulus was referred to as Malikiyy, "the kingly one", according to stellar nomenclature expert Richard Hinckley Allen. Other ancient cultures also saw it as a herald of kingly power. Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of 10 questions complete Star Quiz: Test Your Stellar Smarts Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of Start Over | More Quizzes Regulus in modern times Under modern classifications, Regulus is considered a blue-white "B" star that lies on the main sequence of stellar evolution.

While Regulus, like the sun, fuses hydrogen to helium in its center, it is more massive than the sun and therefore hotter and brighter. Unseen by the naked eye are two very faint companions to the much larger bright star. The binary pair (two dwarfs, orange and red) are about 4,200 Earth-sun distances (astronomical units, or AU) away from Regulus and take about 130,000 years to complete one orbit, Darling said. The dwarfs are about 95 AUs apart, more than three times the average distance between Neptune and the sun. There is probably another companion as well, according to one research team that did measurements of the spin of Regulus. Variations in the spin of the star mean there is probably a white dwarf , or dead star, lurking in the vicinity of Regulus, the astronomers argued in 2008 . "A companion ... may be a low mass white dwarf or main sequence star," a preprint version of the research paper read. "If Regulus was spun up by mass transfer in an interacting binary, then the remnant of the donor star is probably a low mass white dwarf ...

Indeed, the lowest mass white dwarfs are usually found in binary systems where they lost a significant fraction of their mass." Bizarre rotation and temperature Astronomers had a detailed look at Regulus' motion in a study published in 2005, showing that the star would only need to rotate about 10 percent faster to tear itself to pieces . They added, however, that they couldn't see anything in the system that would cause it to move faster. "There's nothing that we know of that can speed this star up," said Georgia State University astronomer Hal McAlister, who led the study of the star at the university's Center for High Angular Resolution (CHARA), in an interview at the time. The rotation of Regulus speeds at 700,000 mph (1.1 million kph) at its equator. (The sun's rotation is about 4,500 mph or 7,242 kph.) The 2005 study examined the effects of the rotation for the first time using the CHARA telescope array on top of Mount Wilson in California.

Among the odd effects on the star: Regulus is much hotter at its poles (27,212 F, or 15,100 C) than its equator (18,032 F or 10,000 C). This is because the star is so distorted that it lessens gravity's strength, which then turns down the temperature at the equator, the researchers said. As for what causes the rapid rotation, astronomers at the time said it was a mystery. "We don't have any idea why it's really doing that," McAlister said. "The picture makes me wonder what it would be like to be in a solar system with this type of star." Author Bio Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space.com who is one of the few Canadian journalists to report regularly on space exploration. She is pursuing a Ph.D. part-time in aerospace sciences (University of North Dakota) after completing an M.Sc. (space studies) at the same institution. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University. Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level. To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @HowellSpace .

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Question: Regulus is the brightest star in which zodiacal constellation?
Answer: Leo